Benvenuti amici!
In October 2014, our first ever dedicated Lancia entry went live. That entry was a sort of eulogy to the once indomitable Lancia… as well as a call to properly restore the brand. Challenge? For all intents and purposes, the legendary leader in automotive innovation has never been much more than a 'local hero'. By that I mean Lancia is… historically… an Italian brand for Italians. To reach its full potential, it must be more. To reach its full potential, Lancia must be a global call to slide behind the wheel of a chariot fit for the great Greek gods of old and give it all manner of Hades.
Hades & Cerebus
Question: How does FIAT S.p.A. accomplish this in a fickle marketplace? How does FIAT S.p.A. present Lancia in such a way as not to derail the ABARTH & Alfa brands?
Answer: It may not be as tricky as one would think. Historically & currently, the ABARTH brand caters to what could be described as the F4 level car enthusiast. I mean this literally as well as figuratively. The FIAT-ABARTH division powers FIA Formula 4 race cars. F4 is the entry level of endurance competition. The FIAT-ABARTH cars, including Punto & 500, are entry level Italian sports coupés.
Alfa Romeo has a strong historical link to endurance competition and, in the 2015 Formula 1 season, will be reunited with Ferrari (the marque that, in large part, owes its start to Alfa Romeo). F1, Ferrari & Alfa Romeo burn off excess fuel under the foot-to-pedal of a far more exclusive clientele base. That leaves a great deal of Italian motorsport heritage & back roads motoring without proper representation... in Italy and abroad.
Enter the once powerful, now limp on life support, Lancia Automobili S.p.A.. There are two occasions, in recent history, FIAT S.p.A. seemed poised to properly reboot the 'Lance'. Between 2003 and 2008 the automotive media was buzzing with rumors of production runs on a new concept introduced by Lancia. The concept was inspired by the 1965 iteration of the Fulvia Coupé. The original Fulvia was the final winner of the precursor to WRC (World Rally Championship). The IMC (International Championship for Manufacturers) was also an FIA rally-style Motorsport event. The modern iteration never rolled out.
Perfectly executed 2003 Lancia Fulvia Concept
Remained poised for production until 2008
In 2005, a design house called Fenomenon proposed the first Stratos-inspired concept since 1978. Once again, in 2010, we would be taken down the annals of Lancia's rally heritage. The 2010 concept was also inspired by the 1973 Ferrari V6-powered Stratos HF. The significance of its ancestor cannot be overstated. The legendary Stratos took the first three WRC titles. It is safe to say it was much more than just another beautiful Italian machine. Despite their respective perfect conceptual execution, neither the 2005 nor the 2010 concepts ever saw production. The obvious question is… "Why?"
2005 Fenomenon: Have Sexy | Will Travel
Perfectly powered by Ferrari F430
Stratos 2010: Forbidden Fruit
The fact these concepts exist at all makes it clear FIAT knows exactly what their rabid fans want more than anything else. The Fulvia concept is muscularly luxurious… a description that pretty much sums up what pre-70s Lancia was/is for all enthusiasts. Likewise, the Stratos concepts… especially the 2010 iteration… harken back to a time when the Terror from Torino specialized in innovation. The 2010 proposal harnessed the power of the Ferrari donor car on a shortened wheel base. I find myself salivating uncontrollably at the thought. With the ABARTH as well as the revitalized Alfa range, we're seeing small cars harnessing good power & torque. The 2010 Stratos takes this idea to its insane maximum.
So, with worthy successors to the throne, the question begs an answer to… "Why not?" That question may never be answered -- at least not in a way petrol heads can stomach. Sergio Marchionne, FIAT CEO, repeatedly insists Lancia is not a viable business venture outside the Italian marketplace. In the time since the CC5C blog & club were founded, I have read countless claims (posted in forums and the official Lancia Facebook page) FIAT is not interested in exploiting what Lancia has done better than any other marque in rally history. And it's difficult to argue with the accusation.
While under FIAT ownership, and despite Lancia retiring from rally in 1992, the brand still holds the records for the most overall and the most consecutive WRC titles. Still, look for any current news and you will be lucky to find anything other than the latest Elle magazine special edition color combination. But, given the aforementioned news about ABARTH & Alfa Romeo FIA sponsorships, the Agnellis & Marchionne could easily brush off such claims as mindless ramblings. So, perhaps the real question is… "How can we?"
I would suggest looking to Subaru. Since the 1995 introduction of the Outback, the "7-star cluster" has become synonymous with off road driving as well as rallying. They've created a entire range of muscular versions of standard people movers. Those musclebound versions dominate their sales (Impreza is practically an entire range). What if FIAT marketed Lancia as a complete range of Quadifoglio Verde/ABARTH/SRT beasts... filling the void between the FIAT and Jeep ranges? What if Lancia was reintroduced as the definitive brand of AWD (all wheel drive) sexy sedans & sport coupés? The technology in modern automobiles has made it possible to marry power and fuel efficiency to varying degrees. If the 22nd placed global automaker can do it, surely 'the Fixer' and his fearless pit crew can get it sorted and on the right track.
Question: FIAT, can you hear the cries?
LANCIA! LANCIA! LANCIA!
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Dedicated to Jolly Club & Mighty Mouse Militia
Ciao!
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